andrea841

I'm flying into Jo'berg early Dec and out of Capetown toward the end of December. I have exactly 19 days to play with and would like about 9 days for Capetown which leaves 10 days for the rest. Does anyone have a suggestion for best itineraries or suggested tour companies to see the rest before I get to Capetown? I'm looking to see as much as possible in those areas in 10 days. Thanks!!!

Safari_Craig

Hi Andrea,

With ten days you can do quite a bit!

You could go to Botswana on the current seven country special and visit a combination of Wilderness Safari and Sanctuary Retreat camps for a 6-8 day safari then go on to Victoria Falls for two nights. Alternatively, you could visit the Kwando camps in Botswana on the five river specials for six days then go to Victoria Falls.

You are past the season for Zambia and Zimbabwe as many of the camps and even entire national parks shut down in November and re-open in May or June.

You could also do combinations of some of the iconic ecosystems of South Africa and take advantage of some current specials. Check out this option:

Day 1 Board SA 8809 for a 1 hour flight from Johannesburg to Polokwane. On arrival in Polokwane take a 3h30m road transfer (last 90 in a game viewing area) to Mashatu Main Camp
Day 2,3 Mashatu
Day 4 Road transfer back to Polokwane and fly to Nelspruit/MQP via Jo’burg. Overnight at Perry’s Bridge Hollow and see the elephants.
Day 5,6,7 Transfer 2 hours into the Sabi Sands. Spend 3 days on safari at MalaMala, or four days at Savanna or Lion Sands using stay4pay3 at the later two lodges.
Day 8 Fly a 1 hour by light aircraft on a daily shuttle to Phinda and spend four nights on stay4pay3 rates at Vlei (#1), Forrest (#2), or Rock (#3). Their rates are relatively cheap until Dec 20 when they increase almost 50% for the holidays.
Day 9,10,11 Safari
Day 12. Go to Cape Town.

OR

Day 1,2,3,4 Four day safari at Phinda.
Day 4,5,6 Three day safari in the Sabi Sands at MalaMala.
Day 7,8,9,10 Four day wildlife and safari experience at Tswalu in the Kalahari. (you can make it in one day from MalaMala to Tswalu using the FEDAIR flight in the morning and the flight to Tswalu that leaves JNB at 1300 each day).
If you stay four days at Tswalu on normal (gulp – about $1,000 per person per night) rates they will get you there for free from Jo’burg and drop you off in Cape Town on the Oppenheimer families private jet. The jet is included in the rate of about $4,000 per person for four nights.

http://www.mashatu.com/
http://www.savannalodge.com/
http://www.malamala.com/malacamp.htm
http://www.lionsands.com/lodges/river.php
http://www.tswalu.com/

Hope this helps.

Let me know where you live (if you are American) and I can possibly connect you with a safari expert in your local area you can meet face to face.

Craig Beal – owner – Travel Beyond

Safari_Craig

In my opinion, the most important thing to do if you can addord it is go on safari for three or four days in the Sabi Sands. I have been on 29 safaris over the course of my life and this is, in my experience, the best general big five animal viewing area in southern africa. The private reserves allow off roading and night drives and 100% of the land is accessible. Building around this, you can add other ecosystems to get different experiences but, for the other experiences, you need to get away from the Sabi Sands and not just go somewhere else close-by. Phinda, Mashatu, and Tswalue are probably some of the best experiences I can think of IN South Africa to juxtapose with the Sabi Sands (Mashatu is technically over the border in Botswana).

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

DMBTraveler

Andrea841,

Just got back from South Africa and spent about the same time you will be spending there. Here was my itinerary.

Day 1.. Arrive JNB @ 5pm.. Stayed at City Lodge Airport US$130 per night. Dinner in Sandton. Train there, cab back a bit expensive.

Day 2.. Flew to Livingstone, Zambia (Victoria Falls). About US$300 RT. Cheaper than flying to VFA, Zimbabwe because of airport taxes.

Day 3.. Day trip to Chobe National Park, Botswana. US$140.

Day 4.. Victoria Falls - Zambia side US$65. Then crossed into Zimbabwe for lunch at Mama Africa.. Easy walk from border.

Day 5.. Back to JNB. Spent night.
Day 6.. Rented from Europcar car drove to Sun City. Would not recommend Europcar, poor service.
Day 7.. Visited Pilanesburg NP. Self drive safari. Saw lions! Spent night in Pretoria. Nice B&B.
Day 8.. Visited Soweto. Nelson Mandela's home. Go to "The Shack" for a local beer out of a milk carton. Ask for guy name Jo..bo..low.

Day 9.. Flew to Cape Town. Mango Airlines US$170 RT. Rented car from Thrifty (Great), drove Whale Coast Route to Hermanus.
Day 10. Great White Shark Dive. Drove back to Cape Town.
Day 11. Wine Country Exploration. Table Mountain.
Day 12. Signal Hill. More Wine Country Exploration. Back to JNB. Pick up rental car from Thrifty. Extra US$70 for Border Crossing Letter. Start drive to KNP.

Day 13. Kruger NP. Satara Lodge US$106 per night plus park fees.
Day 14. Kruger NP
Day 15. Kruger NP. Then to Maputo,Mozambique. Interesting Border Crossing. Visa US$85. Plus US$20 for Auto Ins. Plus US$10 for tips.

Day 16. Maputo, Fish Market a must. Be careful. Petty theft. Police shake downs but still a worthwhile experience.

Day 17. Back in South Africa.
Day 18. Day trip to Swaziland

Day 19. Evening departure home from JNB.

More details in my upcoming postings. Glad to answer any questions.

PS. Coming from certain countries you will need proof of yellow fever vacination to get into S.A. Suggest you get it along with a good supply of Malarone before you leave home. Purchase Deet product once you get to SA.

You'll have a Great Time in Africa and like me will probably hate to leave

Safari_Craig

Now you have two great plans that are completely different. My suggestion is very pampered(think hand ollding) and the later one by DMB is doable and definitely affordable.

If you are looking for a luxury hotel in Cape Town around Christmas, the only hotels with decent inventory left in my recent experience is the Taj and Mt. Nelson.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

ShayTay

There are also some "in-between" options. There are a lot of less expensive camps and lodges in the Greater Kruger area. I recently stayed at Kapama Buffalo Camp, Mohlabetsi Lodge and Shindzela Tented Camp, all near Hoedspruit. I saw four or five of the Big Five at all locations. I've also stayed at Kirkman's Kamp in the Sabi Sand reserve next to Mala Mala and had great game viewing there. Would you be comfortable "self driving"? A lot of the guests at these camps drive to and between them out of Jo'burg. Alternately, you could fly into Nelspruit from Jo'burg, go to Kirkman's, then transfer up to the Hoedspruit area and stay at a couple of camps there. King's Camp and Simbavati are a couple of higher-end camps in the Timbavati reserve where Shindzela is also located. On certain days of the week, South African Airways has a nonstop flight from Hoedspruit to Cape Town... no need to stop at JNB and change planes.

ever_wanderlusty

Nice thread. DMB, what airline did you use for Joburg-Livingstone? Thanks!

DMBTraveler

ever-wanderlusty,

SAA.. JNB-LIV(?)... Only 1 flight a day!

atravelynn

"Best itineraries" depends on your interests.

Do you want to see the most animals, especially the Big 5?
Then stay in South Africa in two or three of the many Sabi Sands lodges.

Do you want to see the most animals, especially the Big 5 and also have a good chance of seeing cheetah, which are not all that common in the Sabi Sands?
Then go to a Sabi Sands lodge and to Phinda, (a cheetah sanctuary with all the other typical safari animals though not in the abundance of Sabi Sands). Maybe stay 2 nts in a Southern Lodge in Phinda and 2 nts in a Northern Lodge in Phinda to cover the most ground easily.

Do you want to see the most animals, especially the Big 5, and also engage in a variety of other safari activities beyond the traditional game drive?
Then go to a Sabi Sands lodge and to Phinda, which offers 7 different activities from rhino tracking on foot to collared leopard tracking in a vehicle to walks to a flying safari to cultural activities to canoeing/kayaking. Phinda also has 7 distinct habitats.


(I did a great Sabi Sands and Phinda combo trip that included 3 rhino trackings, cultural activities, and a kayak trip in Phinda.)

Do you want extended remote walking and canoeing?
Then go to Zambia. South Luangwa is known for walking and Lower Zambezi is known for canoeing and walking. You also do driving there. Some of the well-known operators in S. Luangwa are Robin Pope, Coppingers, Norman Carr, and Shenton. You can do mobile walking safaris with these guys or stay in a couple of their permanent tents and do walking from a fixed location each day. One of my fav things I did in Africa was canoe the Chifungulu Channel in the Lower Zambezi between the camps, Sausage Tree and Old Mondoro. Nine days could be divided between S. Luangwa and Lower Zambezi. Or just go to either Lower Zam or SL--not both--and spend the remainder of your safari days in South Africa or elsewhere.

Do you want to save money, perhaps doing a self-drive? I have no personal self-drive experience.
Go to Kruger. Pixelpower has some good reports on that route.
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...pt4-pungwe.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ear-kruger.cfm

Do you want to experience one of the best river cruises on the continent with tremendous animal activity, especially elephants along the shore?
Then go to Chobe in Botswana and do the Chobe River Cruise for an afternoon or two. You can do traditional game drive activities in Chobe too. A three night stay in Chobe would be sufficient, leaving lots of time for South Africa or elsewhere. I just learned about a boat you stay on for a few days in Chobe. See the link.
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...d-botswana.cfm

I agree with the following statement if it is animals you want to see:

<i>"Safari_Craigon Nov 16, 11 at 2:25pm


In my opinion, the most important thing to do if you can afford it is go on safari for three or four days in the Sabi Sands."</i>

"Suggested tour companies:"
There are many that will do a great job. I'd contact 3. For those regions I have used The Africa Adventure Company in Ft. Lauderdale and Eyes on Africa in Chicago.

AndBeyond owns Phinda and you can book directly with them for Phinda and other places or use an agent, usually same price.

A few other companies that have been mentioned by others include:
Sun Safaris, Cape Town
Rhino Safaris, Cape Town
Go2Africa, Cape Town
Fish Eagle, Houston

I'd consider any of those companies, depending on price.

Others can comment on Namibia. I've not been there.

Many fantastic options.

atravelynn

I'm going to revise my first response.

"Do you want to see the most animals, especially the Big 5?
Then stay in South Africa in two or three of the many Sabi Sands lodges."

You might want to add a lodge in neighboring Timbavati, next to Sabi Sands, or in Kruger (which is also next to Sabi Sands and allows animals to roam between the private Sabi Sands and the public Kruger.) If you have 9 nights and want to minimize transport, this would be a good option.

To bolster the Chobe recommendation, look at this recent post on just Chobe, which includes the quote:

<i>This [Chobe] is a place that has most of what Africa has to offer in terms of wildlife. If you are interested in doing an African safari then I think Chobe National Park should be high up on your list.</i>

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ional-park.cfm

ever_wanderlusty

Thanks, DMB.

Warren990

Sounds amazing, have fun!